Running with confidence

McCarey makes huge strides overcoming nerves

Clairemont High runner Eamonn McCarey practiced last week at the school. After a summer of training, McCarey, a senior, is running with confidence. "Really, I've learned how to pace myself," he said.
— K.C. Alfred / K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune

Clairemont High runner Eamonn McCarey practiced last week at the school. After a summer of training, McCarey, a senior, is running with confidence. "Really, I've learned how to pace myself," he said.
— K.C. Alfred / K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune

For three years, followers of local cross country and track have noticed Clairemont High's Eamonn McCarey.

He'd post fast times, one week looking like the miler he was named after, Ireland's Eamonn Coghlan, the next week going so slow and finishing so far back he had people scratching their heads.

Was it overtraining? Was he hurt? Were his parents pushing too hard? Maybe he was having trouble in the classroom?

No, no, no and an emphatic no.

McCarey, a senior, said his uneven performances could be traced to a single word: confidence.

“People who knew me knew before big races I'd get sick to my stomach,” said McCarey, who recently captured the small-school division of the 5K Nike Pre-Nationals in 15 minutes, 38 seconds over the Portland Meadows course where the team nationals will be run in December.

“I'd get real nervous. I always lost myself at state, going out too fast or too slow. When I went too slow, I'd get caught in a huge pack, and if you relax for 20 seconds you can lose 40 or 50 places.”

Notice that McCarey is speaking in the past tense these days.

After a summer of training, he is running with confidence. Instead of getting sick, he's getting even for the mistakes of the past.

“Really, I've learned how to pace myself,” said McCarey, who is among the top five in his senior class with a 4.3 grade point average. “If the others go out too fast, I know not to worry about them because they'll come back.

“I know where I'm supposed to be. After running a 4:17 in the mile last spring, I know that, like Mac Fleet, if I'm close enough at the end, I'll be able to kick with anyone. Of course, I'm not saying I'm Mac Fleet.”

He has spent a lot of time with Fleet, a University City High graduate, especially over the summer. Like Fleet, now at the University of Oregon after winning state titles in cross country and track (1,600), McCarey enters his senior year with a lot to prove.

He said his biggest disappointment was finishing 43rd at the State Championships last year, more than a minute behind the front-running Fleet. He never really raced with the front pack of 10 or so runners, as he plans to do this year.

That came a week after he finished an impressive fourth in the San Diego Section finals to qualify for state for the third time.

“I was at the top of my game at (sections) and got caught behind a huge pack at state,” McCarey said. “I did the same thing in track — run well one race, not the next.”

McCarey didn't even start running until he was a freshman. His father, Kevin McCarey, ran at Villanova with Coghlan, a three-time Olympian and indoor mile record-holder. Eamonn's sister Bridie was one of the section's top runners several years ago.

Eamonn McCarey said Bridie, whom he calls one of his best friends, helped make running fun. Once he started, thoughts of playing football, soccer and others sports disappeared.

“The biggest difference between Eamonn now and before is mental,” said Clairemont coach Sean Stevenson, who with assistant Brian Hammer has monitored McCarey's progress since his freshman year. “Now he feels he can run with these guys.